Power dressing has entered a quieter, smarter era. And New York City’s newest mayor and First Lady just made that clear.

Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as the city’s 112th and youngest mayor in generations, at 34, and the first South Asian and Muslim to hold the role. The private ceremony, held at midnight on 1st January in a closed subway station beneath the City Hall, and the other in public, staged later that afternoon at the City Hall Plaza.

Standing beside him on both occasions was First Lady of New York, Rama Duwaji, the 28-year old illustrator and animator from Damascus, Syria. Duwaji has quietly become one to watch for her discerning eye and thoughtful, values-driven approach to fashion, amongst many things. For the two ceremonies, Stylist Gabriella Karefa Johnson shared the breakdown of the outfits and details on her Substack, offering a rare look at fashion used as positioning, not performance.

Zohran Mamdani and Rama Duwaji
For the midnight swear-in, Duwaji wore a vintage Balenciaga coat from Albright Fashion Library and archival earrings from New York Vintage, both rented and picked by Kareja Johnson with Duwaji. It reflected her well-documented love of thrifting and her commitment to circular fashion. Mixing high with the low, the coat was paired with a pair of tailored black shorts from The Frankie Shop, boots were loaned from the brand Miista, a London-based footwear label, and finished off the look with sculptural earrings.

Mamdani mirrored that restraint. His handwoven silk tie was adorned with a jacquard motif from Assam in Northeast India, designed by New Delhi-based designer Kartik Kumra of the label Kartik Research.

Zohran Mamdani and Rama Duwaji
For the public inaugural ceremony, Duwaji shifted gears in a custom funnel coat dress with faux fur trims by Lebanese-Palestinian designer Cynthia Merhej of Renaissance Renaissance. A reworked piece from her Fall/Winter 2023 collection, styled with chunky silver earrings and lace-up boots, which felt ceremonial but still personal and a reminder that Duwaji’s personal style shows how fashion can sit comfortably beside power when grounded in values.

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Images: Supplied